North Korea described on Wednesday joint naval drills staged by the US, South Korea and Japan as serious military provocation.

North Korea described on Wednesday joint naval drills staged by the US, South Korea and Japan as serious military provocation.

The North's foreign ministry spokesman hit out at the exercise, which comes after Seoul and Washington last week agreed a joint strategy to address what they described as the mounting threat of a North Korean nuclear attack.

The spokesman said the joint strategy signalled an increase in the "threats of nuclear war against us" and the "completion of plans for a pre-emptive nuclear strike".

"In these circumstances, the dangerous joint naval drill is a serious military provocation and a frontal attack against our efforts for peace", the spokesman was quoted as saying by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

"We want peace but we don't beg for it. We are ready not only for dialogue but confrontation as well."

The annual naval drill had been scheduled to take place earlier this week, but was postponed due to an approaching typhoon.

It remains unclear when the drill, which the US and South Korea describe as a search and rescue exercise and humanitarian in nature, will be carried out.
North Korea on Tuesday warned the United States of a "horrible disaster" and put its troops on alert over the drill.